What does it mean to write the Midwest? In stereotype, the region is sometimes portrayed as flat and formless, but its writers reveal a richer topography that shapes those who live here and offers both loose solidarity and space for experimentation. Join contributing authors of the recently published “Lingering Inland: A Literary Tour of the Midwest” and “On an Inland Sea: Writing the Great Lakes” for a conversation about memory, landscape, and belonging. Moderated by MSU Writing, Rhetoric, and Cultures Assistant Professor Dawn Burns and English Assistant Professor Tim Conrad, the conversation between these Midwest creators will explore the ways inland places shape identity, inspire storytelling, and reveal the shared threads that bind our communities across generations. Burns will bridge the dialog as a contributor to both collections, with authors Cal Freeman, Jeffrey Insko, Sarah Pazur and Ramya Swayamprakash joining from across the Midwest. Conrad's recent receipt of a 2025 Midwest Book Award provides an additional parallel to the panel, with Lingering Inland receiving a Midwest Book Award in 2026.

This event is part of the third annual Lansing Lit festival and is generously sponsored by the MSU Libraries; the MSU Department of Writing, Rhetoric, and Cultures; the MSU Department of English; and the MSU Center for Integrative Studies in the Arts and Humanities.

This event is free and open to all. Registration for this event is required, with registrants able to receive a FREE copy of either Lingering Inland or On an Inland Sea to be picked up at the event on a first-come, first-serve basis while supplies last.